“Encryption is inexorably tied to our national interests. It is a safeguard for our personal secrets and economic prosperity. It helps to prevent crime and protect national security." – A report from the bipartisan House Judiciary Committee & House Energy and Commerce Committee

Facebook’s Privacy Policy Breaches European Law, Report Finds

A report commissioned by the Belgian privacy commission has found that Facebook is acting in violation of European law, despite updating its privacy policy.

Conducted by the Centre of Interdisciplinary Law and ICT at the University of Leuven in Belgium, the report claimed that Facebook’s privacy policy update in January had only expanded older policy and practices, and found that it still violates European consumer protection law.

The report says, in part, “Facebook rolled out its new policies and terms on January 30th, 2015. In the text, Facebook authorizes itself to (1) track its users across websites and devices; (2) use profile pictures for both commercial and non-commercial purposes and (3) collect information about its users’ whereabouts on a continuous basis. Facebook announced the changes more than a month in advance, but the choice for its +1 billion users remained the same: agree or leave Facebook.”

Subscribe to these articles by email

Want to receive a once-a-day email message containing all the new articles published here in the previous 24 hours? (You can instantly unsubscribe at any time by clicking on a
link in each email message you receive.) The email service is free.